International Students In Jeopardy
“When you’re doing a PhD—it’s years of investment that could all go down the drain with just one email” a student regarding how DHS are callously revoking student visas.
In a further escalation of the attacks on Harvard, President Trump and his administration have threatened to revoke the visas of all 9970+ international students and faculty associated with the prestigious Cambridge-based university, adding to the stand-off that froze more than $2.3 billion dollars of the university’s federal funding after Harvard refused to accept the Trump administration’s demands. The IRS has threatened to change Harvard’s tax-exempt status in a bid to cow the Harvard administration.
As of last Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had already revoked the visas of 12 Harvard students and canceled $2.7 million dollars worth of contracts. In the latest ultimatum aimed at the university, DHS has demanded the details of all international students’ disciplinary records and protest participation, according to the Harvard Crimson.
All over the United States, more than 1669 students have lost their immigration status or had their visas revoked for reasons ranging from protesting the ongoing genocide in Palestine to minor driving infractions. In some cases, no valid reasons have been provided for the revocation further underscoring the tenuous and powerless lives led by immigrant students.
In an added financial blow, students whose visas have been terminated must stop employment immediately as their OPTs and CPTs are no longer valid. Also, they cannot work in-school as Research or Teaching Assistants. Students will now face issues with tuition payments and work-study grants. They can not travel outside the country and must carry their passports and I20s at all times.
Currently, schools have advised students to continue their education and keep attending their classes while they work to resolve the issue. Visa revocations do not immediately require a student to self-deport, unless the DHS has filed a Notice to Appear (NTA) with the immigration court to start the removal process. (Source: American Immigration Lawyers Association.)
Rajiv S. Khanna, a prominent Indian-American immigration lawyer has issued a memorandum advising students facing a SEVIS termination. In it he outlines two major options: one, to depart and attempt re-entry, a high risk move, or two, to pursue litigation and attempt re-instatement, a costlier option with no guarantees either. A Dartmouth PhD student, whose F-1 status was revoked by DHS, has found limited success through this move by getting his visa status temporarily restored by a New Hampshire federal court.
Why this Attack on International Students?
This attack on international students serves multiple purposes. Not only does it induce fear in brown and black communities, while actively dismantling the systems that were meant to support them, it also helps the administration in their efforts to squash academic freedom, stifle the universities’ incomes, and add to their goal of deporting one million immigrants by the end of 2025.
Following the authoritarian handbook that has served governments from Nazi Germany to Chile, President Trump has cracked down on universities all over the country using both money and might, creating environments of fear and uncertainty, with the hope to prevent any new pro-palestinian, pro-labor, black lives matter, or pro-immigrant movements.
In response, Alan M. Garber, the president of Harvard wrote in his letter to the Harvard community, “We proceed now, as always, with the conviction that the fearless and unfettered pursuit of truth liberates humanity—and with faith in the enduring promise that America’s colleges and universities hold for our country and our world.”
Unfortunately not all universities are Harvard, most do not have the power or will to stand up to the strong handed tactics of the federal government. Instead they have capitulated to the admin’s demands. Some have gone a step further and preemptively taken actions against international students by cancelling internships and withholding financial support.
What Are the Students Saying?
“My university’s office for international students refused to give me permission to start a 6-month internship set to begin next month, citing potential problems with the new administration,” shared a post-graduate student currently studying at a top research university in the US. “They even ignored my graduate research advisor who stood up for me and shut the door in his face.”
When questioned about his plans for the future, the student echoed the sentiment of several other Indian students, “My hope is to work for a few years and then go back to India. The administration is making us feel even more unwelcome and this life of instability and constant dread is highly stressful.”
A PhD graduate student who has been living in the US for more than half a decade says that she has erased most of her social media presence and now only posts politically irrelevant content. “I just want to get my course over with, it’s very hard to function on a day-to-day basis wondering if you’re going to get a mail telling you that your visa has been cancelled. Particularly when you’re doing a PhD—it’s years of investment that could all go down the drain with just one email.”
There are currently 1.1 million international students in the US, most from India and China. Typically, these international students pay tuition fees that are much larger than those paid by American citizens. Universities have employed this method for decades to subsidize in-state tuition fees. International Students also do not qualify for scholarships or financial aid, except in very rare circumstances.
The economic impact of international students is being made staggeringly clear through the ongoing lawsuits. According to the NAFSA, international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $43.8 billion dollars and supported 378,175 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year alone.
By going after international students, the Trump administration may find themselves setting off a chain of events that could lead to widespread economic, social, and political issues.
One of the students adds, “Funnily enough, freedom of speech was the one thing I always appreciated about the US. Something we can’t maybe do in most of our home countries— have an opinion and have a right to the opinion without getting penalized for it. For all its faults, it was a country that allowed for private liberties like criticism, even against their own presidents.”
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First published by India Currents on Apr 15, 2025.